Fisheries Department Superintendent Caught in ₹50,000 ACB trap in Rajkot
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
Summarized by AI; it may make mistakes. Check important info
A superintendent with the Fisheries Department was caught red-handed by the Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) while allegedly accepting a bribe of ₹50,000 in Rajkot on Wednesday. The accused had initially demanded ₹1 lakh from a contractor in exchange for issuing work orders and returning demand drafts linked to fisheries tenders.
The accused, identified as Khodabhai Vallabhbhai Ramani, serves as superintendent in the Fisheries Department in Morbi and is also the in-charge officer for Botad. A Class-II officer, Ramani is a resident of Wankaner in Morbi district.
Bribe sought over fisheries tenders
According to the ACB, the complainant, described as a vigilant citizen, had submitted several tenders to the Fisheries Department this year. While three tenders were approved, four others were rejected.
Investigators alleged that Ramani demanded ₹1 lakh to issue work orders for the approved tenders and return the demand drafts submitted for the rejected bids. Following negotiations between the two parties, the amount was allegedly settled at ₹50,000.
Unwilling to pay the bribe, the complainant approached the Bhavnagar unit of the Anti-Corruption Bureau and lodged a complaint.
Accused caught accepting bribe
Acting on the complaint, officials of the Bhavnagar ACB laid a trap on July 22 near the SBI Bank on Kasturba Road, ahead of Hospital Chowk in Rajkot city.
During the operation, the accused allegedly engaged in a conversation with the complainant, reiterated his demand and accepted ₹50,000 as illegal gratification. ACB officials then apprehended him on the spot.
Senior ACB officials supervised operation
The trap operation was led by Inspector I.J. Gida of the Bhavnagar ACB police station along with the Bhavnagar ACB team. Inspector T.S. Rizvi and personnel from the Amreli ACB unit assisted in the operation.
The action was supervised by S.N. Barot, Assistant Director of the Bhavnagar ACB unit, while Baldevsinh Vaghela, Deputy Director and in-charge of the Rajkot ACB unit, oversaw the proceedings.
